The school year
1902-’03 in joint district No. 1 commences Monday morning
Sept 1st .The indications point to a much larger attendance in
every department than last year. The school census as taken by
clerk F. L. McMiller, shows a total of 223 children of school age,
a large increase over last year. The total number of non-resident
pupils attending the Unity, Wis. High school last year was 10.

The parents and
pupils of the rural districts are fast awakening to the many
advantages of a ‘high education; with the result that each
year a larger list of country pupils are enrolled. The fact that
the state legislature has taken a hand in the matter and made the
township in which the pupils reside responsible for the tuition of
students attending a high school in another district when there is
none established in the district in which they live will be
conducive to a more general attendance from the rural
districts.

The board have
been fortunate in securing a strong corps of teachers and
especially so in securing the services of Prof. D. H. Shepardson
who was at the head of our schools last year and under whose
supervision a great improvement was made. He graduated a class of
seven last June, six of whom have been engaged as teachers and will
teach in Marathon and Clark counties during the coming year. The
board was also wise in securing the services of Owen P. Ayer as
instructor of the grammar department. Mr. Ayer occupied that
position last year and made a very creditable show.